Process of adapting oil-wells to flow without tubing above the packer



(No Model.)

4 C. G. GONROY.

PROCESS OI' ADAPTING OIL WELLS TO FLOW WITHOUT TUBING ABUV'E THE PAGKER.

Unirse Smarts! Parlant Oratoire@ CHARLES O. OONROY, OF BOLIVAR, NEVYORK.

PROCESS F ADAPTING OIL-WELLS T0 FLOW WITHOUT TUBING ABOVE THE PACKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 265,582, dated October10, 1882.

Application filed April 18, 1882.

.following is a full, clear, and exact description,

reference being had tothe accompanying drawing, making part of thisspecification, said drawingrepresen tinga vertical section through thetubing at and below the packer.

The invention relates to a process of adapt I ing oil-wells to iiowwithout the use of tubing above the packer, either as a weight or as aconductor, employing in lieu thereof a mechanical device for holding thepacker in position, and a reducer applied to the tubing at or below thepacker in the form of an annular bushing to a thimble, relieving thewell of pressure in excess of irs capacity, thereby making the iiowpractically continuous, as hereinafter explained.

In the ordinary construction or process of forming oilwells it has beennecessary to tube'7 them the entire depth, employing tubing conformingto the capacity or tlow of the well. I propose to dispense with thetubing` above the ordinary packer, and to employ in lieu thereof adevice for fastening the packer in position without the aid of theweight of the usual superimposed tubing, and bythe employment of areducer" in the pipe or tubing at or below the packer to relieve thewell of all pressure in the bore above said packer in excess of thecapacity or bore of the reducer, the latter being regulated to conformto the iiow or capacity of the well.

In the accompanying drawing, A A' A2 A3 represent sections of tubing,united by thimbles in the usual manner. The sections A and A' are unitedby ashouldered sleeve or thimble,

K B, provided with a screw-thread on its inner face, the sections A A'being screwed into it.

C is a packer, made of rubber, and in any usual or preferred form, thatshown being' made in the form of a hollow cylinder or bulb, surroundingthe section A', its upper end resting in the enlarged or shouldered endof the thimble B and its lower end against a flanged collar, D, slidingon the section A'. rlhe annular iange d of the collar D has a screw- (NoinodeIl thread formed on its periphery, adapting it to be screwed intothe shouldered end of an enlarged thimble, B', uniting the sections A'and A2 of the tubing, and of sufticient diameter to permit the lower endof the section A', provided with a collar, a, to slide freely up anddowninit. Thecollaraprevents the withdrawal of the sliding section A'through the collar D, while the sliding of the section A' within thethimble B' provides for the longitudinal compression of the packer Obetween the thimble B and the flanged collar I), for causing its lateral expansion against the, walls of the well. This packer is similar inconstruction and operates in a manner similar to some now in use forcompelling the well to ilow through the tubing, and any usual orpreferred form of packer may be substituted for that shown. In theordinary construction this packer has been held in position against thewalls of the well by the weight of the superimposed ,tubing. This tubingabove thepacker I propose to dispense with, and for causing the packingO to be expanded and held against the walls,

of the well or bore I provide the section A with laterally-projectingears b b', to which are pivoted two pieces, E E', made in the form 'of asection of a hollow cylinder or of a hollow frustuin of a cone, the twosurrounding or partly surrounding the tube section. The pieces E E' havesuitable lugs or ears, through which they are pivoted to ears b b', andsaid v ears may be slotted to allow the pieces E and E' to movelaterally to and from the tube A.

Upon the sectionAis a sleeve,A5,said sleeve being adapted to slide onthe section A, and

, being provided with an enlarged bore in its upper end, adapting it topass over an annular collar, a', screwed on the end of said section Aforpreventing the withdrawalof the sleeve A5. 'lhe sleeve Af has shortlaterally-project ing arms or ears b2 b3 nea-r its upper end, and tothese are secured pendent wedges F and F', with their lower endsentering grooves in the inner faces of the pieces E and E', as shown. Byforcing the sleeve A5, withits wedges F and F', downward when the packerO is in position and has been properly expanded against the walls of thewell, the semi-cylindrical pieces E and E' are forced outward untilitheyare made to firmly grasp the walls of the well, and thus IOG to hold thepacking in the required position without the weight ofthe usualpackingtubing above, and the necessity of employing such tubing forholding the packing in position is obviated.

The sleeve A5, with its wedges, will be forced down by the weight of thedrillingtools after the tubing and the packing therefor have beenlocated in the desired position.

The sections A2 and A3 are united by a thimble, B2, screw-threaded inits inner face to receive the threaded ends of said sections, andbetween said sections what I term a reducer,77 g. This reducer is madein the form of an annular washer, provided with a screw-thread on itsouter edge or periphery, adapting it to be screwed into the thimble B2.The central perforation may be made ot' any required diameter to suitthe flow or capacity ot' the well, and the reducer is made removable,adapting it to be substituted by another having a di'erentsized bore orperforation to snit the varying ow ofthe well, and to relieve the wellofthe pressure of the column ot' oil in excess of the diameter of thebore g of the reducer.

The tubing to which the packer and the red ucer are applied can bewithdrawn for changing the reducer to suit the flow of the-well by anyof the usual means for withdrawing the tools used in drilling, such asthe Luther socket or its equivalent.

By the employment of the reducer and ot' the means described, or a-nequivalent thereof, for securing the packer, I am enabled to dispensewith the usual tubing above said packer, and to produce an even andsteady flow of the well, whatever may be its capacity, without thenecessity of adapting tubing thereto or of resorting to pumping, as isfrequentlynecessary where the flow becomes reduced materially below thecapacity ot' the tubing employed, in consequence of the pressure ofthesuperincumbent column of oil.

The perforation g in the reducer where the ow of the well is small maybe covered by a ap or check valve, as indicated at g2, for preventingthebackward flow of any otl the material passing up through theperforation. This will be found valuable where there is water foundabove or in the rock for preventing its access to and interference withthe well.

Having now described my invention and how the same may be carried out inpractice,Iwish it to be understood that I do not wish tobe restricted tothe particular t'orm of packer shown, nor to the specific devicesdescribed for securing the same in place, as these may be varied withoutdeparting from my invention; but

That I claim as new is- 1. The process of adapting au oil-well to ilowwithout tubing the same above the packer, by means of a reducer appliedto the tubing at or below the packer, substantially as described.

2. The method ot' securing the packer for the tubing in place by deviceswedging against or grasping the walls ofthe well, whereby the necessityot' the weight of tubing above said packer for securing the latter inplace is obviated, substantially as described.

3. The reducer applied to thc tbimble, in combination with a check-valveapplied thereto and operating substantially as described.

In testimony whereof' I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day ofApril, A. l). 1882.

U. C. UONROY.

Witnesses:

H. B. ZnvELY, It. M. SMITH.

